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However, given the climate in the country and what had recently transpired in Charlottesville, Virginia, the decision to auction black players off to a mostly white audience was certainly in poor taste.

After facing heavy backlash, ESPN quickly released an apology.

“Auction drafts are a common part of fantasy football, and ESPN’s segments replicated an auction draft with a diverse slate of top professional football players,” the network statement said.

“Without that context, we understand the optics could be portrayed as offensive, and we apologize.”

The viral video that caused the uproar was a portion of the segment in which New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was auctioned off.